Garment supporter



Nov. 15, 1932.

v G. J. LYONS GARMENT S UPPORTER Filed Dec. 4, 1931 gil f 0 n m l.

GEQCEJZVO/VJZ flllomey Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRACE J. LYONS, OF BRONX, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ELASTO RIBBON 00., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK GARMENT SUPPORTER Application filed December 4, 1931. Serial 110. 578,511.

This invention relates to improvements in apparel, and more particularly it pertains to a novel construction and form of garment supporter.

It is a well recognized fact that shoulder straps as commonly employed are a source of great annoyance to the wearer, since under certain conditions, they will invariably ride over the shoulders and have continuously to be replaced by the wearer.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to improve the construction of garment supporters generally and particularly those of the shoulder strap type.

A feature of the invention resides in the combination in a novel manner of an elastic member and an inelastic member to provide a novel garment supporting strap.

A further feature of the invention resides in a novel arrangement and resultant novel method of operation of elastic elements in combination with an inelastic element in devices of the aforementioned character.

A still further feature of the invention resides in a novel garment supporter which may be worn without even the slightest discomfort, and yet which will retainits proper position upon the body of the wearer under strap placed under tension and extended tothe fullest extent,

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is.alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2. A garment. supporter constructed in accordance with the present invention consists ofa mam body portion of inelastic material and one or more elastic elements such as 11 ribbon like member which may be formed in the desired length for use, but which is preferably formed in long lengths from which the desired length for use may be severed.

The elastic elements 11 of which there are four shown in the present embodiment of the invention, extend longitudinally of the inelastic body portion. These elastic elements are preferably formed from single strands of rubber of a high degree of elasticity and in their manner of use in the present invention would not of themselves support a garment in position on the wearer.

By reference to the drawing it will be noted that although the elastic elements are shorter than the inelastic body portion, they do extend throughout the entire length thereof. This arrangement of elastic and inelastic members causes the inelastic member to gather as illustrated in the drawing at 12 when the elastic members are not under tension,

but leaves these elasti'c elements free to rious ways, I prefer to embody them during the weaving operation which forms theinelastic body portion, and in so doing, I prefer to maintain the elastic elements under tension during the weaving operation. By

this method, as soon as the'tension of the elastic elements is released,-.the article takes the form illustrated in Figures 2, 4 and 6, and

presents a neat and attractive appearance.

In the present illustration, I have shown the invention embodied in the shoulder straps of a ladies undergarment, and I will now describe its manner of use and the manner in which it functions when used in this connection.

When used as shoulder straps, the tape or .ribbon like member is cut to such a length that it will be the correct length for use when stretched to its fullest extent as illustrated in I75 This; length is then secured at its efids-fo-the garment in any'desired manner. When the garment is not in use, the main body portion will of course be gathered as at 12 under the influence of the elastic elements 11. When, however, the garment is placed in position upon the body of the wearer, the shoulder straps immediately stretch to their fullest extent as illustrated at the left hand side of Figure 1. This is true since as before stated,- the elastic elements will never be of such strength, nor will they be used in such numbers, as to in themselves be suflicient to support any garment with which they are used. I

At the left hand side of Figure 1, the shoulder strap is illustrated in its normal position, and it will be noted that it presents a neat and smooth appearance, and is to all purposes the same in appearance as the ordinary tape or ribbon so generally employed for this purpose.

At the right hand side of Figure 1, I have illustrated the manner in which the shoulder strap functions under conditions of wear. It will be noted that the left shoulder of the figure illustrated in Figure 1, has drooped. This drooping of the shoulder would, in ordinary shoulder straps, produce suflicient slack to cause the shoulder strap to ride off the shoulder and down along the arm from whence it would have to be replaced by the,

wearer.-

In a shoulder strap constructed in accordance withthe present invention, however, any slack occurring in the shoulder strap as a re sult of any movement of the body is immediately taken up by the elastic elements as indicated by the gathered portion 12 at the right hand side of Figure 1, and the shoulder supporters, and even in garment supporters of the shoulder strap type, but in all such cases with which I am familiar, the elastic material is employed to providethe necessary" stretch or give to permit of free movement of 1 of New York and State of New York this second day of November A; D. 1931.

the body of the wearer. Furthermore, elastic webbing as ordinarily constructed could not be employed in the manner herein described for the reason that it would under tension, cut into the shoulders of the wearer, and would also result in-disarrangement of the garment since elastic webbing when I am awaretha webbing lias combined with inelastic materialiin' garment stretched would have suflicient strength itself to pull the garment out of proper wearin osltion.

ile I have herein illustrated my invention as embodied in the shoulder straps of a ladies undergarment, it will be obvious that itis also applicable to other embodiments, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to this use solely, nor do I wish to be limited to any particular number of elastic elements; since they may be employed in any number so long as they are insufiicient in themselvesto' support the garment in connection with which they are used.

While I have herein illustrated the elastic element as extending along the side edges of the inelastic body portion, this particular arrangement of parts is not essential to the invention, since the elastic elements may be combined with the inelastic body portion in any desired manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and what it is desired to secure by Letters-Patent of the United States, is;

1. A supporter for attachment to a garment, said supporter comprising an elongated inelastic element, a take-up means comprising one or more elastic elements combined with said inelastic element, the elasticity of the take-up means being suflicient to take up slack in the inelastic member, but insufiicient alone to support the garment to which it is attached.

2. A supporter for attachment to a garment, said supporter comprising an elongated inelastic woven fabric element, a take-up means comprising one or more parallel strands of rubber combined with said inelastic element and extending longitudinally thereof throughout its length, the elast'icity of the take-up means being suflicient to take up slack in the inelastic member, but insufiicient alone to support the garment to which it is attached.

3. In combination with a garment, resilient means therefor, said supporting means comprising an elongated inelastic element, a take-up means comprising one or more .elastic elements combined withsaid inelastic element, ehe.' elasticity of the take-up means beinginsufiicie'nt alone to support the garment to which .thesupporter is attached and so constructed and arranged that when the garment is in position upon the wearer, the

take-up means will bestretchedlto s bstan- J tiallyits elastic limit. Y Signed at New". York city in the county .7 GRACE J. LYONS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,887,939. November 15, I932.

GRACE J. LYONS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 112, claim 3, before "means" first occurrence insert the wortl,"supporting"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of January, A. D. 1933.

M. J. Moore,v

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

